1971 Flatback

[Mike Answeeney]

Hey Rich,

Nice tank.

I just had C.L.Mattson and Company out in south Tampa, build a tank for me and they told that if you run a wire from the grounding tab of the tank to a peice of zinc sitting in your bilge, it will act as warning mechanism. If the peice of zinc starts getting eaten away, then more than likey there's some stray current trying to eat at your tank.  Ever heard of this?

I actually didn't do this, the guys doing my boat suggested gelcoating the tank for extra protection.

[LilRichard]

The main thing the T-top will not be just mounted by putting screws into the deck and then working loose and pulling out in a year or two.

Rich and I discussed this a bunch. :)

Absolutely. I am going to have to put a classicmako sticker on the boat in honor of the feedback I have gotten from that site, especially Mr. Wartman...

[LilRichard]

Hey Rich,

Nice tank.

I just had C.L.Mattson and Company out in south Tampa, build a tank for me and they told that if you run a wire from the grounding tab of the tank to a peice of zinc sitting in your bilge, it will act as warning mechanism. If the peice of zinc starts getting eaten away, then more than likey there's some stray current trying to eat at your tank.  Ever heard of this?

I actually didn't do this, the guys doing my boat suggested gelcoating the tank for extra protection.

Thanks Mike.  Interesting... never heard of that (zinc).  I would NOT gelcoat a tank- I would either paint it with coal tar (what I did) or use an etching primer and a suitable epoxy paint... Raybo on the CM site has outlined a process for that.

[LilRichard]

So I had a few extra minutes... started back on the project!

Here you can see the pads I glassed into the bilge for two pumps, two switches.  Note the pad on the port side has two heights, one for the primary float switch, the higher one for the auxillary pump.  That way both pumps don't run at the same time unless the water gets HIGH.





And I got the tank in!





Tomorrow I will paint the bilge with Tileclad epoxy paint.

[RickK]

Lookin' good

[billh1963]

Very nice!

[LilRichard]

Thanks guys.  Some more boat porn for you...

I used tile clad HS 2 part paint for this... a bunch of CM guys have had good luck with it.  







Hopefully this stuff will dry by this afternoon- maybe get the rigging tubes in!

 :afro:

[RickK]

Time to drop the sole in and get it buttoned up so you can drag it out to the get-together  :afro:  

[LilRichard]

I wish it was that easy!  Don't worry, another rendevous or two by car and this one will be making an appearance.  

[RickK]

What are the front 2 bilge areas going to be used for?  I see the drain from the very front one going into the second one.  Does the second one drain into the gas tank area?

[LilRichard]

The front two areas will be storage.  I plan on building a mold for a false floor in the middle compartment so that I can put a 5 gallon bucket on each side (one for castnet, one for whatever else).

The second area actually drains back to the rear bilge via the half moon PVC glassed over the keel area.  However these hulls tend to sit low in the front such that water actually collects in that second compartment, so I am installing a bilge pump up there... there is a wood pad glassed in there too (just didn't show it).

[captdave]

looking good, mine will be back in the next week or so

[LilRichard]

Alright... back at it again.  This weekend I mounted the tower supports that fit over the top of the stringers.  I mounted the supports with 1/2" stainless bolts, secured with nylon locknuts.  Prior to bolting them down, I sleeved the holes (1/2" Sch40 pvc, cut to fit) to eliminate any compression of the stringers.



Applied 5200 to all holes to eliminate possible water in the stringers.



Sorry that one is a little blurry... you get the idea though.



Here's how it fits in:



Also ran the rigging tubes:







Also bought the floor panels this weekend... 3/4 Pressure Treated Marine ply.  Same stuff I built my transom with.



Also worked a little bit on the center console... just some grinding prior to fairing.

[RickK]

Looking good Rich
Be done in no time now.

[John Jones]

Makes me tired just looking